Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

I am a huge Rode fan. I own a Rode NTG-2, the original Videomic and bought the Videomic Pro when it came out. The NTG-2 has been a staple for our Wedding & Event videography biz as has the Videomic.

There have been several times that the Videomic mounted on our fixed b roll wide shot camera has saved our butt when there were issues with a wireless microphone or some other strange situation. At one outdoor wedding the wedding march and other wedding music was played by the reception DJ by him turning his speakers around to face the outdoor wedding party who were a good 70 feet or more from him. Miraculously the Rode Videomic that was also about 70 feet away and off to the side of the speakers picked up the music quite well and was usable in the edit.

Now having heaped accolades on Rode let me air my gripe. I have only used the Videomic Pro two or three times in the all of the time I have owned it because of the absolutely horrendous shock mount. If you barely touch it the bands pop off and are the dickens to get locked back in.

Without even realizing it really I have just kept on using the original videomic because we have been so pleased with it and the pro has to be handled with kid gloves. I am now in a situation where I will need to use it more and am pretty frustrated. By the end of this past wedding just handling the mic to take it off the camera and back in the box meant that by the time I took it out to mount it again for something else two of the shock mount bands had come loose. I just spent probably 15 minutes getting them locked back in. A very poor design that I hope they correct in their next version of the videomic.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

I read once on one of the forums around that a spot of superglue on each touching point on the mount cures the problem.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-thin...eomic-pro.html

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

I use one on each camera and the actual square shaped silicon bands that come with the mic are hopeless..they break very soon after you use the mic!!

What I did was go to my nearest industrial supplier and took them the mic and said I want "O" rings to fit this...They really work a treat and I think 50 of them cost me a mere $5!! These ones don't break but if you bump the mic (I do at crowded weddings quite often) you might lose a ring or two during the evening but I just snap on another one!! I seriously haven't had any "O" rings break on me since I started using them and they are a great solution.

I haven't tried the superglue idea ..that might be even better.

Throw all the Rode bands away and buy "O" rings and you will be a much happier person!!!

Chris

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

It was me using superglue on the original Videomic. I also did it with the Videomic Pro very soon after I got it and it works a treat! You only need a really tiny drop at each anchor point and that perennial problem of the bands popping off is history. Remove the band, apply glue with a cocktail stick, replace the band and repeat for all the anchor points. If you ever need to replace a perished band just peel it off and clean the old glue with a craft knife and/or needle.

Simple but effective. Takes just a minute to do too!

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Magic Idea Andy!!

I think I'll do that with my "O"rings too as they last way longer than the tiny bands that Rode supply with the mic when you buy it.

I was getting bands breaking quite often and now I have yet to have an "O" ring break but if I walk into something and hit the mic they do pop off and it's easier to pop on a new ring than hunt around the floor for the missing one! Have shoulder mount cameras and using the EVF all the time it's quite easy to bump the mic as your left eye vision is mainly the left of the camera only and the mic is on the right!!

Chris

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Chris, I recently did the O ring idea for my original videomic after reading about it online and it works great (bought the O rings at Home Depot or Lowes. However because of the unique shape of the Videomic Pro rubber thingy's (technical term) how do you make regular O rings work.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Several people have removed the horrible Røde shockmount and then clipped the mic. into the Rycote Universal Camera Kit.

The patented Rycote "Lyre" mounts are the best shockmount around - at any price.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

huh, I never have problem with my vmp shockmount breaking. It fell off sometime but it never bother me before.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Victor, I don't have a problem with the shockmount actually breaking but with the rubber suspension bands staying locked in place. Just barely handling the videomic pro causes them to come off and pull out.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Great solution but at $179 I would be better off just selling the videomic pro and getting an NTG-1 to go along with my NTG-2!!!!!

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

If you just want the Invision Video Mount, it is cheaper than buying the full kit.

InVision™ Video » Rycote
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/629485-REG/Rycote_042901_InVision_Video_Hot_Shoe.html

It's about $80 though, still not cheap. In my opinion, it's worth it, but it all depends on how deep your pockets are.

Oh, and if you buy an NTG-1 you'll still need to buy a shockmount. <grin>

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

HI DJ

Sorry should have mentioned that I have the normal mic not the more compact Pro that the DSLR guys are using!! I have never seen the Videomic Pro so I'll leave suggestions to others. You could also use a simply mic clamp..With my Panny AC-130's I took off the mount and just clamped the VideoMic in the mic clamp that came with the camera...Lokks like with the Pro you do need a custom mount!!

Now, a question of my own!! The single screw that attaches the cold shoe to the mount ALWAYS comes loose!!! It drives me mad ...Surely you guys also have found that...I'm figuring maybe epoxy here or a much better bolt and nut rather than a screw???

Chris

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Rode should do the decent thing and improve the problem and offer a FREE solution to rectify their shortcut/design flaw, but I doubt they will do....

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Chris, I also have that issue with that screw but luckily it stays tight enough to last through a shoot. Recently during a wedding shoot the screw came out of that same place on the Rode shockmount cold shoe I have for my NTG-2. Luckily found the screw on the carpet and was able to put it back together. My new SOP is to check that screw and the Videomic one before eqach shoot to make sure they are tight. Just as soon as I would put a drop of superglue or something on them I would need to unscrew them!

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

That looks a lot better! I jusrt may have to pony up that $80 at some point for peace of mind.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Thanks DJ

I would still like to find a clamp style mic mount that I could somehow adapt to a cold shoe. My AC130's (before I sold them off) had the Sony style clamp on the side of the camera and the actual suspension was just a whole bunch of rubber nipples inside the clamp. By just clamping this onto the Videomic round bit (with the suspension removed) worked really well and there is nothing to jump off either and I never noticed any noise transmitted !!

Can you buy these mounts anywhere??

Chris

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Chris, what's the problem with a device like the Rycote one? Apart from price, obviously, they're never cheap. Maybe I don't understand (now there's a first...!).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/629485-REG/Rycote_042901_InVision_Video_Hot_Shoe.html
I think that design of clamp (the "Lyre") is superior to the circular clamp on most cameras. I've even got a Rycote adapter that goes into the circular Sony clamp on my camera, leaving the cold shoe free for other uses.

Do you want something that is basically a clamp directly above the cold shoe? The Rycote clamp is offset to one side, but adjustable... mind you, I think it's possible to take it apart and put it directly above the cold shoe. I'd need to try to dismantle mine!

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Hi Mike

Actually they are rather neat..I was just seeing what alternatives were around. Maybe I will give one a try???

I was looking for a standard mic clamp like the one below.

Chris

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Hi Guys

Just for interest I was sifting thru all my mounts in my GoPro case and found the Hero "handlebar mount"
It basically a clamp with a bunch of swivelling fittings so I ripped the suspension off the Videomic and also took off the coldshoe The GoPro clamp goes around the body of the VideoMic just in front of the housing with a strip of neoprene rubber between the mic shaft and the clamp. With just one fitting the end comes out to exactly where I need the mic to sit so I drilled the original 4mm hole to 5mm in the coldshoe fitting and put a bolt with locknuts up to the GoPro clamp....works like a charm..no transmitted noise AND instead of the silly little self threading screw into plastic that ALWAY's comes loose ..this doesn't move at all. It's a lot more practical than the Videomic suspension mount.

I'll post a pic soon as it's 11pm on this side of the world!!

Chris

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Today I recieved a modified replacement VMP mount which has the rubber bands firmly attached to the mount, thanks to Scott Emerson at Rode who kindly offered me a free replacement. Its much better and the bands seems firmer too.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Oh yes indeed. This is the worst shock mount ever. And the usage of a 9 V battery is also a very bad idea - just to be modest.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

I also received the replacement mount thanks to the kind folks at Rode. I have only had one shoot since putting it on but so far so good! No bands came off from handling. Rode not only has great products but excellent customer support.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

That's Scott Emerton Jalan :) And DJ, he and the folks at Rode appreciate your comments about their products.

Cheers.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

Do you know him?

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

I have two VMPs from about a year or two ago, and two ones purchased this year. The ones from this year have a groove for the rubber bands built into the shock mount that seems to hold them more securely. It sounds like the same sort of thing as what you're talking about.

More secure, but they do still pop off and/or break.

By the way, does anyone else have the problem of finding it difficult to extract the 9V batteries from the microphone? I'm sure this has been discussed before, but anyway... My solution is to attach a thin strip of gaffer tape to the side of the microphone to create a tab to pull the batteries out by.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

I can confirm from personal experience that Rode did modify the design of the VMPs cradle. I have had the original VMP one and one with the newer design for over a year and it seems much less prone to the bands "popping off" - but it would occasionally still happen, albeit far less frequently. Many will know by now of my "superglue trick" for more securely fixing Rode bands in place (see post 4 in this thread for example).

At first I found the battery door and absolute pig to open/close during battery changes - so much so that I practiced it half a dozen times in case I ever had to do it in front of a client. Fumbling around with ones gear does not look professional (and in the corporate world I operate in it's all about image). Now I find it no trouble at all - but I often read of people struggling with it so there is no doubt it could have been designed better!

Personally, I don't have issues extracting the battery - however that tape tag sounds like a good idea. Maybe the 9V batteries you use are slightly fatter than the Duracells I use?

Rode (generally) make great products and have superb after sales service but they dropped the ball a bit with the VMP design. At least the sound quality is similar to the original VideoMic but with the advantage of a much smaller unit.

Re: Do any other Rode lovers hate the Videomic Pro shockmount?
 

I have the original stereo video mic with eight small black rubber bands suspending the mic in the mount. After several years of good service from the device I lost one or two of them, but was able to replace them from the spares that came in the box.

When sometime later I started to lose quite a few due to perishing, I was a bit disappointed that I could not get replacements. I trawled the web to no avail. I ended up emailing Røde and got a polite response asking for my mailing address. I replied and received enough of the NEW design bands to last the life of the mic from Matthew Piccolotto at the Sydney Service Department.

Well done Røde!